Peter Brook was born in Scholes, Holme Valley to farmer parents. He was educated at Goldsmith's College where he studied to become a teacher while he attended evening drawing classes and visited art galleries. He returned to West Yorkshire where he worked as a teacher first at Rastrick and then Sowerby.

Brook painted rural landscapes, farmhouses and scenes from different facets of British life. He visited many European countries to paint, but held the Pennines as his favourite subject. His style was influenced by Edgar Degas and labeled by himself as anti-academic. He was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists in 1962.

Since he passed away in 2009, his work has been much sought after, with his images of Pennine Farmhouses and those of him and his faithful sheepdog being the most collectable.